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Monday, May 6, 2013

Rick Ross 'Forgives'...

If you've been
paying attention to my articles you'll see subtle cues in regards to favorite
artists and/or preferences. For example I, being from the South and all, have a
certain soft spot for hip-hop from that region. You will also notice that there
are a few artists of whom I am rather high on. One artist who comes to mind is
2 Chainz. I could have also said Big K.R.I.T. or Kendrick Lamar here as well.
But of all of them I have referenced one artist above all other.

That man is Rick
Ross. And as always, insert a gutteral grunt here.

It hasn't
escaped have my notice that Rick Ross, much like T.I., has yet to make a track,
an album, or a mixtape that I have hated. "Aston Martin Music"
still makes me vibe whenever I hear it. In much the same way "Push It"
still gets me hyped in the early morning hours. And don't even get me started
on the Rich Forever mixtape. "MMG The World Is Ours"
will forever have my love and admiration for the amazing sounds therein.

In much the same
way I expected nothing less than perfection from his much anticipated album God
Forgives, I Don't. Not surprisngly, I wasn't disappointed for one
moment. For seventeen tracks I was lost in his lyricism and the sound of the
Florida native's style. Being that I have an inclination to share with you as
my readers allow me to elucidate on the album.

"Pray
For Us" is the first track. If you're a movie buff like myself you
recognize the prayer as the one Peanut and Jody partake in urban cult classic Baby
Boy. They even captured the drive-by perfectly. This leads us to "Pirates".
It builds with triumphant sound and after that everpresent grunt hits, the beat
thunders a fantastic rhythm as Ross speaks his words with conviction and
eloquence. "3 Kings" is another great one to listen to. Here
Ross is sandwiched well between verses by featured artists (and legendary MCs)
Dr. Dre and Jay-Z. The title does the track justice as you hear the trio murder
the beay as only kings can.

"Ashamed"
hits me with a 1970s vibe, as if I'm in a Shaft movie. I say this because the
beat seems to send me back in time to that time when we first spoke of that
private dick who just so happened to be a sex machine to all the chicks. But I
digress here. Ross speaks of dealing drugs, something he'll continue doing he's
ashamed to say. The track is deep when you take a listen.

"Maybach
Music IV" features Ne-Yo. It follows in a line of similar tracks,
notable for smooth sounds and great grooves. Never one to let down listeners
Ross keeps with this tradition. Kudos for staying great and consistent. "Sixteen"
is a clever song with a jazzy feel. André 3000 is all ober the hook with that
eclectic sound he's famous for. The concept behind the song is that sometimes
when you are rapping to a particularly hot beat with an equally hot concept,
maybe sixteen bars isn't enough. There is a moment when André 3000 raps beyond
the beat, seeming to confirm the concept of the song. Clever, right?

Next we move to
"Amsterdam", a track with an uncredited feature by MMG
songtress Teedra Moses. Her vocals add to soulful sort of vibe I find myself
getting from this track. The word (or rather name) Amsterdam refers to
marijuana, a drug that is more than legal in the aforementioned city. "Hold
Me Back" is pretty cut and dry, in my opinion. Ross repeats how both
'these hos and these niggas' cannot (raher will not) hold him back. This is
your typcial song about grinding done well by Ross. "911" has
a similar sound in its production so it feels almost like a follow-up, which I
find myself appreciating. Based on the title and the use of Darwin's survival
of the fittest as a punchline, I believe the title referred to calling the
ambulances after a shooting. But refers to a 911 Carrera Porsche.

The last three
songs were mostly dominated by Ross' vocals. The next three make the return to
features. That first begins with so "So Sophisticated". With
the drums loud Ross raps about his "sophistication", something that I
imagine speaks more to his status in the hip-hop game as opposed to any caviar,
furs, or mansions. Meek Mill comes through with another of those amazing verses
that I love from him. "Presidential" features singer Elijah
Blake. This song seems geared towards his woman as he [Ross] and Blake tell her
just how special, how 'presidential' she truly is. The beat is different than
what you'd expect but it works. "Ice Cold" is drum heavy and
features the newest member of the MMG
family, Omarion. (I have a problem calling him Maybach O, so I won't).
Omarion's vocals do not seemed to have diminished in the slightest. They play a
good counterpoint to Ross' bombastic rapping on this one. I silently feel the
title is a slick reference to Omarion's "Ice Box" days.

Usher and Rick
Ross come together to make "Touch'n You". Usher is always a
good choice and he fits well with Ross on this one. With his ad libs and vocals
behind Ross' rhymes the track floats. The beat is driving and has those accents
that make it a perfect sort of track for the two.

Now we move on
to my two favorite tracks.

The first is the
very popular "Diced Pineapples". I would like it noted I loved
this (and the song that follows) before either were released as singles. That
being said, we move on. This paino laden track has a cool something about it.
Wale, who I haven't really been too big on as of late, murders a poetic intro
to this one. Ross then comes in with that cool swagger laced through his
verses. An amazing hook is left to the incomparable (and often insulted) Drake.
Something about his R & B side fits well here. You can hear his vocal
acrobatics behind Ross as he speaks of his goddess. We hear from Wale again as
he comes through with the final verse. It is actually one of my favorite verses
of his since his debut album.

Without a doubt
"Ten Jesus Pieces" is my favorite of the album. The track
gives me the feel of film noir in the modern age with a urban grit laced into
it. The storytelling here is honest and utterly amazed. For most of the verses
Ross raps over drums and a sultry saxophone. The hook gets me every time.

I do this for my
niggas facing hard times/Can't be on them corners if you hustling part-time/Ten
chains on, Eric B with mob ties/Rakim flows coming from the far side/Blood
diamonds in my pieces from apartheid/Quick to quote a prayer, pull it from the
archives/I pray for every soul that this music reaches/Bury me a G, ten Jesus
pieces

MMG artist (and
a personal favorite) Stalley comes through on the track and adheres well to the
vibe of this amazing track. This one is powerful.

"Triple
Beam Dreams"plays with an ominous sort of beat. Nas and Rick
Ross come together again for this one. As before their voices mesh well
together. The theme is the dreams of using drugs to get beyond the horrible
circumstances of their environments.

"Rich
Forever" is a rag to riches story with John Legend vocalizing and
giving you the hook in that way that only he can. For me this another of those
really personal track masquerading as a a simple hip-hop track. I love
everything about it from vocals to production.

The only thing
left to say about this album is that if you're not listening to it, I utterly
have no idea what it is you're doing with your musical life. Really don't.

Town~Bizness

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